Being located in multiple different cities, regions, countries, continents and timezones is every small business owner’s dream. We all have to start off small, just one expansion is enough for one year. So if you have recently just opened a second location, you will be wondering how on earth you cater to its needs while supplying your own too. It’s the dilemma that only hits us after the fact. You can plan long and hard for an expansion but there are always some hidden aspects that we didn’t prepare for. Therefore, before you expand or think you’ve made a mistake, here’s how you can support your sister’s location.
A weekly inventory check
Whatever kind of business you are, resupply is a major issue. It depends on the size of your sister location, regarding how much inventory you need to ship to her. Speak with the director of that location and go through the sales reports after several weeks, to see what the median of product sales is. This way you can guess how much stock you need to deliver every week. Whether it’s a warehouse or a retail store, making a weekly round of product deliveries will refrain from what’s called ‘inventory dry spell’. Express freight like european haulage companies offer is one of the top choices for small business owners. They can use their small trucks or vans, and make dedicated deliveries to whatever location you want. This is something you should be doing on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
Don’t lose focus
The biggest mistake that small business owners make when they first expand to a second location is, forgetting that it’s your business. Don’t just put someone else in charge of the second location, you need to have weekly meetings with the managers and director. Here’s what you should be discussing.
- What are the cash flow needs? Using data-driven projections, you should have an idea for their weekly expenses, employee payments, and most importantly, if their sales are above the threshold you need for the location to stay open.
- Is there full team cohesion? Since you’re not around, you don’t see the office conflicts and the breakdown in cooperation and communication. Therefore, always check in to see how the hierarchy and command structure is doing. Don’t let problems fester into open wounds.
- Is the second location happy with the ethos and image the business is projecting? Different locations have different consumer cultures, especially when you’re in another region or country. Keep the company culture intact but learn to adapt your message.
Marketing foresight
As mentioned, different locations have different cultures, so always give your second location a heads-up of any new marketing campaigns you’re making. This way, if no potential cultural faux pas will be committed. The second location team is immersed in the local populace and they know what customers like. So, always include them in your brand projection discussions.
A second location is a very exciting prospect, but because it’s far away, you need to value constant communication to be on top of every problem your expanding business faces.
- DISCLOSURE – This post has been written by an outside source.
